1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an audio system, and more particularly, to an audio system that may be used in a seatback.
2. Related Art
Loudspeakers or speakers may be mounted in a seatback for a variety of applications. For example, it may be desirable to mount stereo speakers in the seatbacks of a home theatre, an amusement park ride, a theater, an automobile, an aircraft, a train, or the like. Seat-mounted speakers may provide entertainment audio, such as music or a movie soundtrack, and/or informative audio (telematics), such as instructions from a pilot, or directions from a speech-enabled vehicle navigation system.
Speakers mounted in a vehicle seatback convert electrical signals into sound. The sound may provide entertainment through music or provide information through instructions or directions. In some speaker systems, it may be desirable to receive sound through a direct path to the front of a listener. The sound may use two or more separate channels, such as stereo, that give the sound a more natural distribution.
A seat positioned in front of a speaker may offer listeners a distorted version of a sound as obstructions or absorbent materials may change a sound's characteristics. When speakers are mounted in a seatback in close proximity to one another, there may be an increased possibility of cross-talk, in which undesired signals or sounds are heard through the coupling of channels. Therefore, there is a need for a seatback audio system that maintains channel separation and generates sound that is perceived to have traveled directly to the front of the listener.
It also may be desirable to provide a seat configured to receive one or more sets of seatback speakers. For example, an automobile manufacturer may provide an automobile seat having a receptacle configured to receive a headrest having an integrated speaker. A need exists for a semi-automated or automated electrical connection between a seat and a portion of a seatback having an integrated speaker.